Tory plan to overturn hunt ban

David Cameron plans to repeal the hunting ban if the Conservatives win the next general election, in a simple one-line Bill.

The strategy is revealed in a private letter to MPs which instructs them to reassure "our friends in the hunting world" that a Tory government would overturn the Hunting Act as a matter of urgency.

It comes as hunts across England and Wales marked the second anniversary of the ban coming into force by turning out in large numbers to go trail hunting this weekend.

The letter, from David Maclean, the former Tory chief whip, who says he is writing on behalf of Mr Cameron, says: "Over the last few months colleagues have been speculating on the different ways we could honour our commitment.

"There is a danger that our straightforward commitment to bring a Bill before Parliament to repeal the Act. . . could get confused. All colleagues are therefore urged to simply repeat our commitment to repeal the Act. This would be, of course, on a free vote."